Mr. Ellie Pooh began with a simple idea: what if saving elephants could start with paper? Founded by Dr. Karl Wald, a U.S. biologist, and Sri Lankan paper maker Thusitha Ranasinghe, the company transforms elephant dung—a natural byproduct of Sri Lanka’s wild herds—into beautiful, handmade paper goods.

On a postdoctoral trip to Sri Lanka in 2005, Dr. Wald witnessed firsthand the deadly conflict between farmers and elephants. Together, he and Thusitha developed a way to turn elephant waste into sustainable employment for local communities. The result: Ellie Pooh paper.

Crafted from cleaned, processed elephant dung rich in plant fiber, this acid-free paper becomes notebooks, cards, and gifts that support conservation through commerce. By creating eco-friendly jobs and assigning economic value to elephants, Mr. Ellie Pooh helps turn former “pests” into community assets—one poop-powered page at a time.